From the 11th century until the Reformation, the site of Hay's Wharf, in the Borough of Southwark, was the town house of the Abbot of Battle (Sussex). The house was called the Inn of Bataille, and had its own private quay. No doubt the Abbot preferred to travel by boat, rather than through the narrow, noisy streets nearby.

Roman remains have been found, suggesting that a Roman villa once occupied the site.

The wharf is officially named Hay's Wharf, and warehouses are leased to other merchants who trade in potatoes, hops, and cider.

1796

The majority of the warehouses are now leased by W. Humphrey & Son.

1838

Frances, the last of the Hay family to be associated with the Wharf, dies. He had become a Master of the Waterman's Company, and King's Waterman to both George III and IV. He is buried in the family vault at St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe.

1857

John Humphrey Jnr employs Cubitt to build a new 'Hay's Wharf', which incorporates an enclosed dock.

1926

During the General Strike, the wharf is manned by Oxford undergraduates and office staff, who take over as Dockers and cold-store workers. They live aboard a Baltic vessel moored nearby.

1969

The Hay's Wharf Company ceases operations. Developers convert the warehouses to residential and commercial use in the 1980s. This include Hay's Galleria, where Cubitt's warehouses, lofts and vaults are now covered by a high glass roof.